The present invention relates to safety devices for firearms. Specifically, a device is disclosed which can be inserted in a firearm and permit the firearm to be used in dry fire practice which avoids an accidental discharge, as well as protects the firearm from damaging the firing pin.
The training of persons to safely use firearms in confrontational situations requires actual firing time on a firing range, as well as exercises wherein unloaded firearms are used to demonstrate various defensive actions. Range officers who conduct such training must carefully scrutinize each trainee's performance, so as to make certain the trainee learns the safe handling of loaded firearms. These exercises typically involve live firing of the firearm under close supervision.
In other exercises carried out by the trainee, the firearm is operated in an unloaded condition, and dry fired, i.e., fired without ammunition. A significant source of fatal accidents results from accidental discharges, which occur when training switches from a live fire session to a dry fire practice session. The problem of making certain that all firearms are properly unloaded during dry fire practice is exasperated by the fact that an empty firearm with a closed chamber is usually indistinguishable from one in which a cartridge has been loaded and is ready to fire. For this reason, accidental discharges occur at an unfortunately alarming rate.
Various devices have been proposed in the past for disabling the firearm. These devices typically fit within the firing chamber, and obstruct any introduction of a round into the firing chamber. Examples of such devices can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,835,894; 5,097,613; 5,435,090; and 6,470,615.
Associated with the problem of making sure that a live round is not introduced into the chamber during dry fire practice, is a problem of determining from casual observation whether or not firearm has been disabled. Since the slide is closed and the bolt is in battery position during dry fire practice, viewing of the disabled device does not disclose whether or not it is in fact disabled and perhaps carries a live round.
The present invention improves upon the foregoing devices in providing an easily inserted obstruction in the firing chamber which prevents a round from being chambered, as well as indicates to the user that a firearm may be safely used for dry fire practice.